The Columbus Police Department (CPD) charged Carla Marie Hunt for the murder of a man believed to be her boyfriend. CPD Chief Fred Shelton told The Dispatch, that the couple were at a home on Emerald Drive but did not identify whose home it was. The court denied bond to Ms. Hunt because she was already out on bond for a 2018 charge of accessory to murder. According to Mississippi law, accessory to murder and murder are felonies.
A Carla Marie Hunt voted in-person absentee in the Columbus municipal election last year. The post office returned a letter mailed by A Better Columbus (ABC) to the voter’s registered address in May 2021 with a handwritten notation “does not live here.”
On April 12, 2022, various news sources reported a large-scale drug bust in Columbus that led to 18 arrests. One of those individuals listed was Eugene Robinson, Jr. who has prior felony and misdemeanor arrests.
In May 2021, ABC posted on social media a list of absentee voters in Columbus’ Ward 1 primary that included a Eugene Robinson. After Mr. Robinson voted absentee again in the general election, ABC mailed a letter to Mr. Robinson’s registered address that the Post Office returned with a “vacant” label.
A Eugene Robinson of Columbus received a PPP loan of $20,415 in May 2021.
Because Mr. Robinson does not own the home at which he is registered to vote, he is ineligible to claim homestead exemption. (Homestead exemption is supposed to be claimed only when the owner occupies the home and claims it as their legal residence.) The Lowndes County Tax Records indicate the owner of the home is RES Real Estate, LLC—which is owned by former Columbus mayor, Robert Smith.
Convictions for one of 23 barred crimes result in loss of voting rights in Mississippi. The barred crimes include: voter fraud, murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, bigamy, armed robbery, extortion, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, larceny, receiving stolen property, robbery, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, statutory rape, carjacking or larceny under lease or rental agreement.
ABC compiled information about returned mail and provided it to the Circuit Clerk’s office in Fall of 2021 to forward to the Lowndes County Election Commissioners (who are responsible for maintaining the voter rolls.) so that they could do their own verification and update the voter rolls accordingly. However, it was not until May 2022 that the Commissioners received that information.
The Commissioners met in July 2022. The minutes of the Commissioners meetings do not identify matters addressed or what voter records (if any) were updated. The minutes contain information such as “a commissioner came to record her deaths” (some mentioned the numbers, but some did not,) or “we asked if it was safe to send the poll workers a letter,” and odd commentary such as a person in the meeting did a great job (but provided no details as to what they learned or how they measured a “great job” on the machines, etc.)
Other counties’ Election Commission minutes, such as Madison County’s, list the names of the voter records and why they were marked inactive or purged. This is good practice, so if a mistake is made, that individual may ensure the changes were accurate and correct it prior to an Election. Voters may NOT be purged from the voter roll based upon the confirmation card process after August 10, (within 90 days before the election.)
